Pelargonium plant named ‘Fipeldanburg’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Pelargonium  plant named ‘Fipeldanburg’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; freely basal branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; semi-double burgundy-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium peltatum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FIPELDANBURG’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Pelargonium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, commonly referred to as Ivy Geranium, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fipeldanburg’.

The new Pelargonium plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-branching and freely-flowering Pelargonium plants with large flowers and attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Pelargonium plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in September, 2006 in De Lier, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as code number 60011, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as code number 88873, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Pelargonium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in March, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Pelargonium plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since July, 2007 has shown that the unique features of this new Pelargonium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Pelargonium have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fipeldanburg’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fipeldanburg’ as a new and distinct Pelargonium plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Freely basal branching habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Semi-double burgundy-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Pelargonium differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Pelargonium differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flower form as flowers plants of the male parent selection are single types with five petals.

Plants of the new Pelargonium can be compared to plants of Pelargonium peltatum ‘Global Merlot’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,733. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Pelargonium differed primarily from plants of ‘Global Merlot’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Pelargonium had larger leaves than plants         of ‘Global Merlot’.     -   2. Flower umbels of plants of the new Pelargonium were denser         than and not as open as flower umbels of plants of ‘Global         Merlot’.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Pelargonium were slightly darker         in color than flowers of plants of ‘Global Merlot’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Pelargonium plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Pelargonium plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fipeldanburg’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 10.5-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Lier, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Pelargonium production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 28° C. and night temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 18° C. Plants were ten weeks old when the photograph was taken and 20 weeks old when the description was taken. In the detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum ‘Fipeldanburg’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Pelargonium peltatum identified as code number 60011, not             patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium             peltatum identified as code number 88873, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About four days at             temperatures about 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About one week at             temperatures about 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 16 days             at temperatures about 22° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; whitish grey             in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching, medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit.—Upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly             mounding plant habit; densely foliated.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous growth             habit; freely basal branching habit.         -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 34 cm to 37 cm.         -   Plant height, to top of leaves.—About 20 cm to 25 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 50 cm to 60 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 15 cm to 30 cm. Diameter:             About 5.5 mm to 5.6 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm to             6.5 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Strength: Moderately strong.             Color: Close to 144A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; simple.         -   Length.—About 5.3 cm to 5.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 8 cm to 10 cm.         -   Shape.—Roughly orbicular; palmately lobed.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Margin.—Entire; palmately lobed.         -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Slightly pubescent; more dense along             the veins.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to N137B; venation, close to N137B. Developing and             fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 146A;             venation, close to 146B. Zonation pattern, upper surface             only: Location: Towards the base of the leaf. Width: About             2 cm. Color: Close to N147A; actual color will vary with             light levels.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 3.5 cm to 6 cm. Diameter: About             2.2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Semi-double flowers arranged in rounded             hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils; umbels             displayed above the foliar plane on strong peduncles;             flowers face upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about 10 to 16             flowers and flower buds per umbel and about ten to twelve             umbels developing per plant.         -   Flowering season.—In The Netherlands, flowering is             continuous from late spring until frost in the autumn; early             flowering habit, plants begin flowering about six to eight             weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about 2 to 14 days             on the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Umbel height.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Umbel diameter.—About 7 cm to 8 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4.5 cm to 5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 2.2 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.1 cm to 1.5 cm. Diameter: About             5 mm to 10 mm. Shape: Globular to elliptic. Color: Close to             144A.         -   Petals and petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About 22 to 26.             Length: About 2.2 cm to 2.5 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm to             1.4 cm. Shape: Spatulate to obovate; smallest             petals/petaloids, irregularly obovate to oblanceolate. Apex:             Round. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When             opening, upper surface: Darker than N77A. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 75C; towards the base, close to 59A             or occasionally almost white. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to between 59A and N77A; color becoming closer to N77A             with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 59A;             color becoming closer to 70A with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 1.4 cm to 1.6 cm. Width: About 5 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate to acicular. Apex: Acute. Base: Lobate to             truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Densely pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             144A.         -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 11 cm to 14 cm.             Diameter: About 3.5 mm to 4.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle:             Erect to about 30° C. from vertical. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: Close to 144A.         -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2.5 cm.             Diameter: About 1.4 mm to 1.6 mm. Strength: Moderately             strong. Angle: Erect to about 60° C. from peduncle axis.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             About one to five. Filament length: About 6 mm to 7 mm.             Filament color: Close to 155A. Anther length: About 2 mm to             3 mm. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther color: Close to 39A.             Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 33B.             Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:             About 1.2 cm to 1.4 cm. Stigma shape: Tapering; reflexed.             Stigma color: Close to 155A. Style length: About 7 mm to             10 mm. Style color: Close to N74D. Ovary color: Close to             138D.         -   Fruits and seeds.—Fruit and seed development has not been             observed on plants of the new Pelargonium. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Pelargonium have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Pelargonium plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Pelargonium have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 4° C. to 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Pelargonium plant named ‘Fipeldanburg’ as illustrated and described. 